Kitchen cabinets can make a big difference in the look and feel of the most frequented room in your house. There are color choices that can make the room brighter or give it warmer tones. The style of cabinets can make your house feel more modern or traditional. Today it’s popular to have kitchens with bold colored cabinets that contrast with the rest of the room.
If your kitchen has been around for a while and needs some updating, focusing on the cabinets is a must. The first thing you should decide is if you want to refinish your existing cabinets or if you want to get all new cabinets.
Read more to learn about benefits and drawbacks of each option!
Pros of refinishing your existing kitchen cabinets:
Save money
You can save a significant amount of money if you refinish your kitchen cabinets. This is especially true if you DIY, although depending on your skill level you may want to leave the refinishing to the pros. Either way, the cost will come in lower than fully new cabinets in your kitchen.
No sizing required
New kitchen cabinets require sizing, which is a challenging job that must be done just right. When you refinish cabinets, they all stay in place and you get to avoid the sizing altogether!
Less work
Refinishing your cabinets can be less work than a full replacement would require. But make no mistake, it's still work!
Easier to DIY
It’s easier to DIY cabinet refinishing than to DIY the installation of new cabinets if you are inexperienced in new cabinet installation.
More options
When you choose to refinish your cabinets, you have more options when it comes to paints and stains. That many choices may not always be available from new cabinet makers. Your local home improvement store can generally mix colors to your perfect fit.
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Cons of refinishing your cabinets:
Same cabinet design
Your cabinets will retain their original height and sizes when you refinish rather than replace. This does lack the flexibility available with cutting and sizing all new cabinets.
Sanding required
It’s a lot of work to refinish cabinets, and sanding will almost certainly be required. If you hire this job out then you won’t have to do the work yourself.
A Quick Note about Cabinet Refacing: In this blog we’re talking primarily about re-staining or painting existing cabinets, including the cabinet doors and drawers. There is an option of cabinet refacing, which includes the painting or staining of the cabinet shell, but new cabinet doors and drawers along with hardware are added, giving a very new look. This option is a more expensive extension of cabinet refinishing but can save money over installing all new cabinets.
Pros of installing all new kitchen cabinets:
Greater flexibility
New kitchen cabinets come in all shapes and sizes. While your new cabinets will have to match your kitchen size and counter layout, you still may have options for changing the height and width of the cabinets. You may have the option to add a “lazy Susan” where a traditional corner cabinet is, for example.
Modern designs and factory finish
Your brand new cabinets can be shaped and sized to fit the most modern and trending styles. The finish should also be near perfect coming from the cabinet maker.
All new cabinets
The most obvious benefit of installing new cabinets is just that - they are brand new inside and out!
Cons of Installing all new kitchen cabinets:
Greater cost
There’s no question that replacing your cabinets with brand new units will cost more than refinishing. The cost can be worth it depending on your budget and what your ultimate goal is.
Demolition/Construction zone
Replacing cabinets is a bigger job and will require removing the old cabinets. You’ll have a bit of a construction zone in your home for a time.
Budget and goals:
So there you have it, two popular options for getting a new and refreshed look in your kitchen. In the end it comes down to your wishes and budget. At Experts In Your Home, our home construction and remodeling contractors can meet with you to determine your perfect kitchen, and do all the work for you! Give us a call or contact us online if you are interested in a free kitchen cabinet remodeling quote.
